Bishop John was a true twentieth century ascetic, widely-travelled, who lived in Russia, Yugoslavia, Shanghai, Europe (where he planted the Orthodox Church in the Netherlands, France and Spain), and, of course, the United States. This book is a "preliminary biography," divided between details of his life and accounts of his healings.

St. Innocent, Apostle To America (Paul D. Garrett) 1979. BX 597 G37

A wonderful, well-written biography of this North American saint detailing his entire life until his tenure as Metropolitan of Moscow. Of greatest interest to us, of course, is the time he spent in Alaska, where his many talents enriched the people and the church there. He built churches and homes, translated scripture and liturgies into the local languages and visited his scattered flock by kayak. Excerpts from his diaries and correspondence bring this book alive.

Holy Women Of Russia (Brenda Meehan) 1993. BX 596 M44

The lives (temporal and spiritual) of five Russian women in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are described here. The women range from noblewoman to peasant, ascetic to intellectual; all were called to the monastic life from their different circumstances. These were women who initiated monastic communities, not officially saints of the Church, but whose spirituality provide us with models of holiness.

Flame In The Snow (Iulia de Beausobre) 1945. (uncatalogued)

This life of St. Seraphim of Sarov is drawn from contemporary writings, historical background and oral stories and traditions. Although St. Seraphim lived in great simplicity, there is much that is known about his life through the many people with whom he had contact, supplying us with a rich oral tradition, which is the foundation of this work.

The life of this important saint, one of the earliest of the desert Fathers, is largely based on the life of Antony by Athanasius.

Prayer and Meditation

In The Presence (Lev Gillet) 1977. BX 383 G54

A collection of short meditations, some only half a page, written as a father (God) to a child (us). The author offers reflections on love, and how our daily actions within our lives must be examined and aligned with Christ.

In case you havenít heard enough sermons on the Prodigal Son, Zaccheus, The Pharisee and the Publican, here is an in-depth examination of these parables, with an emphasis on the application of the teaching to our lives.

Way Of The Ascetics (Tito Colliander) 1960. BV 5035 C64

A taste of Orthodox desert spirituality, based on the Fathers of the Church, and centred on deification, or the yearning of man to become one with God. The transfiguration of the everyday life of the world, nourished by the liturgy, by prayer and by the cultivation of inner stillness is the aim of this book, which is not meant just to be read, but to be meditated upon.

Living Prayer (Anthony Bloom) 1966. BV 210.2 B65

In this handbook of prayer, Metropolitan Anthony teaches us how to pray, examines the Lordís Prayer and the Jesus Prayer, and talks about prayers for both the living and the dead. He also discusses the important topics of unanswered prayer and how to pray when you canít pray. A classic, and worth frequent re-reading.

Living The Liturgy (Stanley Harakas) 1974. BX 350 H37

If you have ever wanted to "get more out of the liturgy," or just have a greater understanding of what is happening in our weekly worship, this is the book to read. The emphasis in this "manual" is on our full and active participation in the "work" of the liturgy. This step-by-step approach has something to enhance every worshipperís understanding of the liturgy.

The Jesus Prayer (A monk of the Eastern Church) 1987. BT 590 G54

An introduction to the practice of praying the Jesus prayer. The author first shows us how the prayer developed through various traditions, then offers valuable insights in the application of the prayer.

The Lordís Prayer (Cyprian of Carthage) BV 230 C93

Written in the third century, this translation is a meditation on prayer in general and the Lordís Prayer in particular. Each phrase of the Lordís Prayer is used as a departure for meditation. A good choice for those few minutes (if thatís all you have) before bed!

Christ Is In Our Midst (Father John) 1980. BX 597 I57

A twentieth century collection of letters from a Russian monk of Valaamo to many of his spiritual children. These letters touch on many aspects of life and are full of wisdom. They point always to the need for prayer, humility and the quest for the "one thing needful" - God.

Out Of The Depths Have I Cried (Philip Saliba and Joseph Allan) 1979. BT 220 S24

A series of short meditations on the Incarnation, designed for the lay reader. Frequent references to the fathers of the church and the desert fathers lead the reader through the themes of surrender to God, emptiness, going into the desert and hope and expectation.

Lenten-themed Readings

Great Lent (Alexander Schmemann) 1974. (uncatalogued)

The book begins with preparation for Lent with a study of the parables from the Sunday Gospels, and continues with discussion of Lenten worship and the Liturgy of the Presanctified gifts. Most importantly, Fr. Schmemann asks us what is the meaning of Lent in our lives, urging us to "dig deeper" and live our Lent in a more meaningful way.

The Lenten Spring (Thomas Hopko) 1983. BX 383 H66

A series of forty readings designed to take us through the journey of Great Lent. Drawing on our tradition, the scriptures, hymns of the Church and the Churchís great writers, the author guides us through this holy season, emphasizing the brightness and splendor of the season.

The First Day Of The New Creation (Veselin Kesich) 1982. (uncatalogued)

For those who wish to focus on the end of the Lenten journey, that is, the great feast of Pascha, Kesichís book examines all the events and the evidence surrounding the Resurrection. There is a chapter on bodily Resurrection, and the final chapter illuminates the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost.

Spiritual Life

The Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis) 1942. (uncatalogued)

A brilliant collection of correspondence from the senior devil, Screwtape, to his nephew, devil-in-training, Wormwood. A classic that certainly provides insight into how the devil works and how we succumb to his wiles. (Aside: there are some hilarious "in-jokes" for former Anglicans!). We also have this book on tape, read by John Cleese - priceless!

Virtue In The Unseen Warfare BX 382 S647

Victory In The Unseen Warfare (Jack N. Sparks) 1993-1996. BX 382 S64

Prayer In The Unseen Warfare BX 382 S63

A modern edition in three parts of a classic work originally written for monks, but with much wisdom for all people in all ages. This is a very practical edition, enhanced with study questions at the end of each chapter, designed to help you incorporate what you have read into your spiritual life.

On Wealth And Poverty (John Chrysostom) 1984. BR 65 C45 E57

A collection of John Chrysostomís sermons addressing the issues of wealth and poverty and still very relevant in our day. The sermons are really an in-depth study on the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Chrysostom demonstrates compassion and understanding of the human condition but also calls for accountability.

On Marriage And Family Life (John Chrysostom) 1986. BR 65 C43 E5

A timeless collection of sermons based on the Pauline Epistles to the Corinthians and Ephesians. Chrysostom discusses the purpose of marriage, the responsibilities of marriage and the raising of children.

The Spirit Of God (Thomas Hopko) 1976. BT 119 H6

A thorough study of the Holy Spirit, through the writings of theologians both ancient and modern, including an examination of the Holy Spirit in the sacraments. An important focus in the book is "the spirit of human persons" and "the spirit in the world."

The Faith We Hold (Abp. Paul of Finland) 1980. BX 320.2 P33

Although the aim of this book is to describe Orthodoxy "from the inside to those outside," many fundamental truths about the faith are revealed to us in these pages, giving us a fresh look at our faith. The main topics are faith, the Eucharist and prayer. Most are brief - a page or so - and could easily be read one a day during Lent.

This book, full of gripping stories, is a testament to the strong faith of the Russian people through the trials of the last century. It is written by an Anglican priest who has spent much time in Moscow, and he believes that the rest of the world has much to learn from the zealous faith and unwavering love of the Russian people.

If you want to learn more about icons, this volume gives you a great deal of background, including painting techniques, the development of icons historically, and their imagery. A number of icons are reproduced and described.